I’ve seen this quote all over the news lately. Funny thing, but I remember the quote and not the news story that prompted its use. The quote is from Ernest Hemingway’s 1926 novel The Sun Also Rises. In it, Bill asks how Mike went bankrupt. Mike responds with the now literary meme, “Two ways. Gradually and then suddenly.”
It turns out this “gradually then suddenly” concept applies to a lot more than bankruptcy. Think about how the Roman Empire fell. This applies both to the OG empire centered in Continue Reading “Why I Started To Write”
A Pugilist’s Elegy – In Memory of Mr. Polito
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It seemed like fate, but it was duty.
My first question was, “Why didn’t you fail me?”
His first question was, “Would you like some iced tea?”
I had been at war with the English Department since 8th grade. I don’t remember why. I think my 8th grade English teacher, Mrs. Coffey, enjoyed sparring with me, and I returned the compliment with zeal. It was always cordial. Being a science guy, I consistently argued against the humanities. Only once did I naively step over the line. The teacher wisely told me that there were such things as lines. I demurred and vowed never again to go over that unseen demarcation.
But that didn’t mean I stopped pushing the envelope.
In 10th grade I took a stand against Continue Reading “A Pugilist’s Elegy – In Memory of Mr. Polito”